Thermoplastic Composite Airplane Door Structure Development: Process Simulation Towards First Part Right

High performance thermoplastic composites are seen as a solution for future primary fuselage applications, leveraging both high rate capable part manufacturing processes and welding as integral assembly methods. However, with the build rate targets and automation of welding assembly, the adoption of new processes will rely on repeatedly consistent part quality and precise assembly surfaces without need for shimming and shortening of the development cycle by virtual process optimisation.
As part of Airbus Helicopter’s development efforts towards a full thermoplastic composites door structure, Syensqo has been supporting the development of a robust manufacturing approach for a load carrying door frame structure, demonstrating the value of virtual engineering-backed “first-time-right” part deformation and tooling shape compensation approaches. This presentation will focus on the developed manufacturing approach for a high precision thermoformed edgemember demonstrator, leveraging Syensqo’s next generation thermoplastic composite material and process demonstration capability within Syensqo’s own application centres for the demonstrator manufacturing and analysis.